It certifies that the higher education institution sees the diversity of its students and employees as an opportunity and has found ways to leverage this potential.

Equal opportunities - promoting talent: Whether part-time, with a history of migration or from a non-academic background - all students should have the opportunity to successfully participate in education. It is equally important to promote diversity among the employees of a higher education institution, both in academia and in administration.

With this in mind, over the past two years, Hochschule RheinMain has undergone the Stifterverband's "Shaping Diversity" diversity audit under the moderation of long-standing auditor Prof. Dr. Katrin Hansen. During the two-year process, which was supported by the Stifterverband, students, teaching staff and administrative employees worked together to further develop the higher education institution's diversity work in terms of strategy, structure and culture. They developed a common understanding of diversity, the future structural anchoring at the HSRM and defined three fields of action with initial goals. These relate to Studies and Teaching as well as working conditions for employees and communication and organization.

More equal opportunities

"For us, certification is a further step on the path from performance and wellbeing to more equal opportunities and the promotion of talent. Our higher education institution stands for diversity in all its facets and for a clear expression of our values: Openness to the world, tolerance and recognition of the differences that enrich us as a community. For example, with projects such as talent scouting, we specifically promote young talents from different backgrounds and accompany them together on their individual educational path," explains HSRM President Prof. Dr. Eva Waller.

"We are very pleased about the certification. It is another important step on our way to becoming an institution where all members of the university can find themselves in their diversity, can contribute and feel comfortable," says Prof. Dr. Abiola Sarnecki, Diversity Officer at HSRM. "This opens up the opportunity to further develop our strategy, our guidelines and the tools and mechanisms necessary for implementation. The goal is to continuously promote, establish and sustainably anchor diversity as a cross-cutting issue at Hochschule RheinMain."

Intensive organizational development process

The Stifterverband sees the Diversity Audit as an instrument for strategic and organizational development. More than 70 higher education institutions have already successfully participated in the audit. The auditors support the participating institutions in developing their diversity work and implementing an individual diversity strategy without predetermined standards. In particular, it is certified that the higher education institutions and research institutions have undergone an intensive organizational development process.